Kars and Ani

Kars is the first large town in Anatolia when you arrive from the Caucasus. Set at 1,777 m on a high plateau in north-eastern Turkey, it has been in turn Seljuk, Georgian, Ottoman and Russian. 47 km to the east, beside the river that marks the Armenian border, the walls of Ani enclose an almost empty medieval city.

Ani, the walled city

Ani covers 78 ha of a volcanic tuff plateau, above the Arpaçay and Alacasu valleys. The Arpaçay forms the border between Turkey and Armenia. The city was a major trading centre, the first Anatolian stop on the Silk Road, and UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 2016.

The walls run for 4,500 m and stand 8 m high, reinforced by many square and round towers. You enter through the Lion Gate, the finest, decorated with a roaring lion. Inside, 21 buildings still stand: a three-aisled mosque built in 1072, churches, baths, palaces, a caravanserai and bridges. The site is open daily from 8 am to 5 pm, local time, ticket office closing at 4:30 pm. From 1 April 2027, admission is €9, audio guide included.

Kars, a town of the east

The Russians stayed in Kars longer than any other occupier and left it churches and stone buildings that give it a European look; the town likes to call itself the "Paris of the East". The citadel gives the best view over the town.

Kars Museum, in its present building since 1981, brings together finds from Ani and other sites of the region, ethnography and carved stones; it is closed on Mondays and admission is free under the 2027 price list. The Caucasus Front War History Museum occupies the Bloody Bastion, one of 46 bastions built in 1803 under Sultan Selim III; it owes its name to the night in 1828 when all its defenders were killed in a Russian raid. It is also closed on Mondays, and admission will be €5 from April 2027.

Kars is also a town of hand-knotted rugs in naturally dyed wool, and of a cuisine of flour, pulses and farm produce.

Around Kars

Lake Kuyucuk is a birdwatching site where 207 species have been recorded. On the Ardahan road, the Susuz waterfall drops about 75 m. To the south-west, the forests of Sarıkamış surround a ski resort.

Further east: Doğubayazıt, Ararat and Lake Van

The İshak Paşa Palace, 5 km from Doğubayazıt, is one of the last great Ottoman palaces, built in the late 18th century over 7,600 m², with courtyards, mosque, hammam and harem. It is 2 h 25 by road from Kars. Mount Ararat towers over the plain: it is a special military zone, and climbing it requires permission from the Doğubayazıt government office and a fee. Further south, the Church of the Holy Cross at Akdamar, built from 915 to 921 on an island in Lake Van, holds an important place in the history of Armenian architecture.

These places are in Ağrı and Van provinces, near the Iranian border. Some European ministries advise avoiding travel there or advise against the Iranian border areas; Sabaro presents them for information, without offering excursions. The "Travel advice" table on this page gives the advice for your country.

Getting there

Kars airport is linked to Istanbul by Turkish Airlines, AJet and Pegasus; there is no direct flight from Europe. Ani is 40 minutes by road from the town centre. The Armenian border has been closed since 1993, and the land border has been closed in the direction of Iran since 2 March 2026. Trabzon and the Black Sea are 424 km away, nearly 6 hours by road: the Black Sea highlands can be combined with Kars by road or by a flight via Istanbul.

Climate

Kars has a continental high-plateau climate. From December to February, highs stay below zero and nights drop towards −15 °C in January. Summer is short and mild: 26 to 27 °C in the afternoon in July and August, around 10 °C at night. May and June are the wettest months. The best time is June to September.

The hotel in the Sabaro selection

Kar's Otel occupies a former Russian-era building in central Kars. Its eight rooms, three of them suites, are named after the districts of the province and the Aras river; the Aras Suite has a fireplace and a large terrace over the streets. Price on request.

What the foreign ministries say

Kars and Ani are under heightened vigilance for most European ministries, with no specific advice. One ministry asks travellers to inform its embassy before going to Kars province. The "Travel advice" table on this page gives the advice for your country.